Made by Joelhttp://madebyjoel.com
Thu, 01 Dec 2016 17:18:24 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.1New Painting – Abstract Contour Flower Gardenhttp://madebyjoel.com/2016/07/new-painting-abstract-contour-flower-garden.html
http://madebyjoel.com/2016/07/new-painting-abstract-contour-flower-garden.html#respondTue, 12 Jul 2016 21:30:54 +0000http://madebyjoel.com/?p=6198It’s been awhile since I’ve painted, but I’ve finally started making more time for it. I just finished this first one a couple of days ago. Contour Flower Garden

After doing a few pencil sketches, I couldn’t quite nail down what I was envisioning. Then while waiting in the play area at my kid’s optometrist, I noticed an Etch A Sketch siting in the toy bin. So I tried drawing the flower garden with it and really captured what I wanted. Ha. Sometimes having constraints helps.

Contour Flower Garden
Acrylic on Canvas
4×6 ft

]]>http://madebyjoel.com/2016/07/new-painting-abstract-contour-flower-garden.html/feed0DIY Father’s Day Gifts!http://madebyjoel.com/2016/06/diy-fathers-day-gifts.html
http://madebyjoel.com/2016/06/diy-fathers-day-gifts.html#respondThu, 16 Jun 2016 17:14:16 +0000http://madebyjoel.com/?p=6185Hey everyone. Here are some new Father’s Day gifts I created for FamilyFun Magazine. Photos and printable templates over at their site. Links below!

]]>http://madebyjoel.com/2016/06/diy-fathers-day-gifts.html/feed0Gingerbread Music Video and Printable Paper Toyhttp://madebyjoel.com/2015/12/gingerbread-music-video-and-printable-paper-toy.html
http://madebyjoel.com/2015/12/gingerbread-music-video-and-printable-paper-toy.html#respondWed, 16 Dec 2015 18:59:18 +0000http://madebyjoel.com/?p=6167Hey everyone. Here’s an animated music video I made for Bari Koral’s Gingerbread Man song. Since I already had the artwork, I decided to make a printable toy to go with it.

Enjoy the video with your kids, print out the template, and let them do some crafting and playing!

Happy Holidays!

Template: Click on the image below, then print.

]]>http://madebyjoel.com/2015/12/gingerbread-music-video-and-printable-paper-toy.html/feed0LIGHTSPEED // A Star Wars Inspired Funk/Rap // Music & Videohttp://madebyjoel.com/2015/12/lightspeed.html
http://madebyjoel.com/2015/12/lightspeed.html#respondMon, 07 Dec 2015 20:13:19 +0000http://madebyjoel.com/?p=6141In my excitement about the new Star Wars film, I got the bug to re-record this Star Wars inspired funk rap I wrote 20 years ago in my band days.

Here is a quick music video I created with the help of some drawings from my 8 year old son.

Also, you can download the mp3 and/or video for free below if you’d like!

Along with my son’s drawings, I’d like to give credit to the very fun iPhone app VinylizeMe which I used to create the album cover.

Wow, it’s been awhile since I’ve posted. Over the past few months I’ve been working on a lot of exciting projects and commissions, and I’m very happy to finally start sharing some of them with you!

Most recently, I’ve been working with Bari Koral, artist and musician from New York. She’s got a live TV show coming up next month, Yogapalooza, which combines yoga and kids music. I’m designing the background stage visuals for all of the songs. It’s been super fun. Basically, I’m creating simple drawings, then animating them so they move around, almost like a cartoon.

We’re turning some of the animated slideshows into little music videos as well. The first one is Roller Coaster. It’s below if you want to check it out!

Anyway, I’m glad to be back! More coming soon…

]]>http://madebyjoel.com/2015/10/animated-music-videos.html/feed0Winter House Paper City Scenehttp://madebyjoel.com/2014/12/winter-house-paper-city-scene.html
http://madebyjoel.com/2014/12/winter-house-paper-city-scene.html#commentsTue, 23 Dec 2014 17:07:07 +0000http://madebyjoel.com/?p=6055Here is the new winter theme Paper City set! I love the imaginary escape of dollhouses, so I tried to create some of that feeling. The kids have been busy coloring and cutting. Now they’re making a few of their own additions!

So find some hot cocoa and start crafting! I hope you enjoy it!

PDF Templates below.

Happy Sledding!

If you enjoy an activity and would like to support my continuing effort in creating art projects for our kids at home and in schools around the world, a PayPal tip donation would be awesome.

Thanks!

Template: Click on the image below, then print.

]]>http://madebyjoel.com/2014/12/winter-house-paper-city-scene.html/feed2Embroidery Project for Kidshttp://madebyjoel.com/2014/12/embroidery-project-for-kids.html
http://madebyjoel.com/2014/12/embroidery-project-for-kids.html#respondThu, 11 Dec 2014 16:32:02 +0000http://madebyjoel.com/?p=6009Last week my 7 year old daughter asked me if she could do some embroidery. She made this pillow a couple of years ago, but hadn’t done much since. Sounded like fun to me!

She does a lot of drawing, so I got out a disappearing fabric pen and let her create a design on some fabric. Then I set her up with some embroidery floss and a needle, and took one minute to teach her the backstitch.

I couldn’t believe how fast she picked it up this time. It was very easy for her to keep the thread in the needle and also follow the lines. We’ve been turning her embroideries into pillows for her bed. And now she’s on to making more for holiday gifts. It was so exciting that my son wanted to get in on the action too!

If you’d like to try making one, but don’t know how to embroider yet, here’s a nice tutorial that Wendi Gratz made with me awhile back!

Happy Stitching!

]]>http://madebyjoel.com/2014/12/embroidery-project-for-kids.html/feed0Printable Placemat For Giving Thankshttp://madebyjoel.com/2014/11/printable-placemat-for-giving-thanks.html
http://madebyjoel.com/2014/11/printable-placemat-for-giving-thanks.html#commentsThu, 20 Nov 2014 19:20:01 +0000http://madebyjoel.com/?p=5964Celebrating Thanksgiving with family and friend gives the perfect opportunity to reflect on the things that we love and appreciate. This Thanksgiving, I decided to create an “I’m Thankful For…” coloring sheet that doubles as a placemat for the kids table.

My kids felt really good about putting their appreciations down on paper and I was happy that they were able to reflect on the meaning of Thanksgiving while doing something that was creative and engaging. It’s a great activity to do before the big Thanksgiving meal, plus it’s a sweet reminder to give thanks while they’re sitting at the table.

So before you start that oven next week, get your printer warmed up and give the kids this little activity to celebrate what they’re thankful for. I hope you all have an excellent Thanksgiving!

The jazz style music reminded me of the Sesame Street videos I used to watch as a kid. I pictured having geometrical shapes dancing around to the song, but rather than animating them, I created simple paper puppets.

The only materials needed were paper, scissors, and tape. While I was making the puppets, my kids all sat at the table with me and built a bunch of their own. Then once they were finished, I just slid and danced them all around to create the video. You can watch it below if you’d like!

Here are a couple of photos of the design process. Some of my favorite geometrical abstract art books. (Kenneth Noland, Josef Albers, Robert Motherwell, Terry Frost, Ellsworth Kelly…) Then my sketches below, along with the paper colors. If you’re curious, the paper I used was from Bright Tag. Really nice thickness and color. My kids have been using it for collages and other art projects a lot lately.

]]>http://madebyjoel.com/2014/11/paper-puppet-music-video.html/feed2DIY Halloween Puppet Theaterhttp://madebyjoel.com/2014/10/diy-halloween-puppet-theater.html
http://madebyjoel.com/2014/10/diy-halloween-puppet-theater.html#respondThu, 23 Oct 2014 15:31:42 +0000http://madebyjoel.com/?p=5932Finger puppets have always been a favorite craft with my family. The kids love using their creativity to design new puppets, but they also get to continue using their imaginations as they act out stories with each character. We can spend hours around the table crafting, acting and entertaining each other for some fun family time!

For this set of puppets, we also created a Halloween puppet theater out of a used cereal box. It turned out to be quite an inspiring prop for some hilarious impromptu Halloween skits.

]]>http://madebyjoel.com/2014/10/diy-halloween-puppet-theater.html/feed0Harry Potter’s Getaway Treehousehttp://madebyjoel.com/2014/08/harry-potters-getaway-treehouse.html
http://madebyjoel.com/2014/08/harry-potters-getaway-treehouse.html#commentsFri, 29 Aug 2014 16:59:48 +0000http://madebyjoel.com/?p=5904Over the summer the kids have enjoyed making dozens of fairy houses with flowers and objects around the yard. But yesterday my son and I decided to make a mini treehouse. I used a design in my friend Derek’s book. (He’s a master of DIY mini houses and forts. I’ll post info for the book below.)

We cut the walls out with my scroll saw, then used popsicle sticks on for the roof. I made a tiny chair and rug for it, then my son’s Lego Harry Potter and Ron Weasley ended up moving in. Nice!

Here it is in the book. It would sure be cool to make the life size version sometime!

]]>http://madebyjoel.com/2014/08/harry-potters-getaway-treehouse.html/feed3Paper City Paris Kits are in the Shop!http://madebyjoel.com/2014/08/paper-city-paris-kits-are-in-the-shop.html
http://madebyjoel.com/2014/08/paper-city-paris-kits-are-in-the-shop.html#commentsMon, 04 Aug 2014 20:25:19 +0000http://madebyjoel.com/?p=5886Hey everyone. I’m super excited to announce my first ever toy to hit the shops! Collaborating with The Saturday Market Project is wonderful, and the Paper City Paris Kits are fantastic.

The templates are printed in the USA on sturdy paper which takes color very well, and also folds great.

I designed a Champ de Mars scene inside the carrying case so it could double as a play mat, then created an additional large fold-out play mat of the Avenue des Champs Elysées. Kids can connect the two together in various ways for lots of creative play, then pack everything back up and take it on the go!

This item ships from USA to the following regions: Asia, Australia, Europe, North America.In honor of the upcoming holiday season, we have reduced the price to $16, or 2 for $30

]]>http://madebyjoel.com/2014/08/paper-city-paris-kits-are-in-the-shop.html/feed2Paper City Camping Scene!http://madebyjoel.com/2014/08/paper-city-camping-scene.html
http://madebyjoel.com/2014/08/paper-city-camping-scene.html#commentsFri, 01 Aug 2014 16:10:16 +0000http://madebyjoel.com/?p=5840Hope you’re all having a great summer! Here is the other project I just finished for Pottery Barn Kids. A little camping scene in the woods.

I hope it gives you a small taste of the great outdoors!

(Template is below!)

Template: Click on the image below, then print!

]]>http://madebyjoel.com/2014/08/paper-city-camping-scene.html/feed2Vegetable Garden Coloring Sheet!http://madebyjoel.com/2014/07/vegetable-garden-coloring-sheet.html
http://madebyjoel.com/2014/07/vegetable-garden-coloring-sheet.html#commentsMon, 07 Jul 2014 01:26:22 +0000http://madebyjoel.com/?p=5832I’m creating three projects for Pottery Barn Kids this month! The first one is this garden coloring sheet. You can download it below, or read the whole post here if you’d like.)

]]>http://madebyjoel.com/2014/07/vegetable-garden-coloring-sheet.html/feed5Help vote for the next Paper City!http://madebyjoel.com/2014/06/help-vote-for-the-next-paper-city-2.html
http://madebyjoel.com/2014/06/help-vote-for-the-next-paper-city-2.html#commentsWed, 11 Jun 2014 16:59:53 +0000http://madebyjoel.com/?p=5824Hi everyone. I would love to hear your opinion on choices for the next Paper City!

A vote has started on the Facebook Page, but you can vote here in the comments as well!

UPDATE: After adding up all of the votes from everywhere, London is the winner, followed very closely by Barcelona! So I will do both – starting with London!

It takes longer than one might expect to design everything, but it’s a very fun process. I will keep everyone updated and share sketches along the way.

Thanks for voting! And I plan to do many more cities after these!

]]>http://madebyjoel.com/2014/06/help-vote-for-the-next-paper-city-2.html/feed41Flapping Paper Bird Toyhttp://madebyjoel.com/2014/06/flapping-paper-bird-toy.html
http://madebyjoel.com/2014/06/flapping-paper-bird-toy.html#commentsSun, 08 Jun 2014 22:03:18 +0000http://madebyjoel.com/?p=5797I used to make birds like this when I was a kid, flying them all around the house and yard. Usually we just run around and they flap through the air like a wild kite. But if you’re in the mood, you can try to flap the wings and glide them around too.

I also made a quick video you can show to your kids to get them excited about the craft!

Happy flapping!

Click on the template below, then print!

]]>http://madebyjoel.com/2014/06/flapping-paper-bird-toy.html/feed12Video: AM Northwest TV Showhttp://madebyjoel.com/2014/05/video-am-northwest-tv-show.html
http://madebyjoel.com/2014/05/video-am-northwest-tv-show.html#commentsFri, 16 May 2014 20:41:17 +0000http://madebyjoel.com/?p=5793Channel 2 News came out to film a little segment for the AM Northwest Show. You can watch it online below if you’d like!

]]>http://madebyjoel.com/2014/05/video-am-northwest-tv-show.html/feed8Made by Joel Shophttp://madebyjoel.com/2014/05/made-by-joel-shop.html
http://madebyjoel.com/2014/05/made-by-joel-shop.html#commentsMon, 05 May 2014 04:51:18 +0000http://madebyjoel.com/?p=5754Exciting news! I’ve been working on a Made by Joel Shop where you can easily get the materials you need to make craft and toy projects at home. I always try to use simple things around the house. However, if you happen to need something, it’ll be a convenient, time-saving one-stop shop.

To help make this happen, I’ve teamed up with the genuinely kind people at The Saturday Market Project. I select my favorite supplies, and they handle the shop. We’re also working together to produce some of my toy designs and Paper City kits in the near future.

Materials:
paper
scissors
clear tape
wire. (I used 18″ floral stem wire, which you can find in the floral section of craft stores. That way you don’t need to cut the wire. It’s already a perfect length.)Instructions:
1- Cut out 6 circles using colorful pieces of paper. (My circles were about 3 inches in diameter, but you may make whatever size you’d like. The circles do not need to be perfect.)
2 – Take your piece of stem wire and using your fingers, bend a circle (about 4 inches in diameter) at one end for the base. Make the wire flat against the bottom through the middle of the circle.
3 – Then bend it straight up at the middle to make the stem of the flower stand upright.
4 – Fold 5 of the paper circles in half, then cut a narrow notch into the side of each fold.
5 – Take the remaining paper circle, and attach it to the top of the wire stem with one piece of clear tape. This will be the center of the flower.
6 – Now align the notch of each folded circle and simply slide them one by one onto the center circle. Do any last little bends on the base so the flower will stand up firmly. Done!

]]>http://madebyjoel.com/2014/05/made-by-joel-shop.html/feed4Easter Egg Basket Coloring Sheethttp://madebyjoel.com/2014/04/5722.html
http://madebyjoel.com/2014/04/5722.html#commentsSun, 06 Apr 2014 16:11:40 +0000http://madebyjoel.com/?p=5722Hope you’re all having a wonderful spring. I just finished making a new Easter coloring sheet! Hope you enjoy it

]]>http://madebyjoel.com/2014/04/5722.html/feed6Easter Egg Felt Boards!http://madebyjoel.com/2014/03/easter-egg-felt-boards.html
http://madebyjoel.com/2014/03/easter-egg-felt-boards.html#commentsFri, 21 Mar 2014 05:03:47 +0000http://madebyjoel.com/?p=5698I’ve been thinking about making some sort of Easter felt board, then yesterday I had the idea to make egg shaped boards for the kids to decorate. Our 2.5 year old really enjoyed helping me, and was so excited to play when they were done!

After she finishes creating a design, we put them up on the mantel with the other Easter decor. I always love it when decorations can be toys too!

They were fast and easy to make, as usual! I just used cardboard from a cereal box, white glue, and felt. Below are some photos with detailed instructions if you’d like to try it out!

First, cut out an oval egg shape from a piece of cardboard. We made ours as big as the cereal box would allow. Then take white glue and smear it all around, especially on the edges. (Little E loved this step!)

Then place the cardboard glue-side-down on a piece of felt.

Put some heavy books on it for a few minutes.

Cut off the excess felt. (I used a rotary cutter for this, and it was super fast and easy.)

Now your board is ready. Off to make the felt pieces!

I used the rotary cutter again for many of the pieces, but scissors work great too. Older kids can even cut their own shapes. Think of whatever designs you want!